Cosatu warns of border management bill’s threats to 10,000 jobs

BDLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu on Tuesday objected to the threats posed to about 10,000 public service jobs by the Border Management Authority Bill.

It said at public hearings held by the portfolio committee on home affairs that the bill had implications for public servants redeployed to the proposed Border Management Authority (BMA), set to manage SA’s ports of entry. Among concerns was the potential loss of members’ right to strike, restrictions on sharing information, and the establishment of new labour relation practices and procedures. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks said the federation supported the plan by the Department of Home Affairs to keep the ports authority inside the public sector, but not the removal of its public service labour category. The move would have a significant impact on the redeployed workers, especially the implications for their rights as workers should the functions of the authority be declared an essential service. Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba told the committee that the BMA was not meant to take over the functions of police personnel at borders and SARS customs officials